Even 17-year-olds are allowed to join the Bundeswehr. The Left Party strongly criticizes this and denounces militarization.
The Bundeswehr has recruited a total of 7,681 minors in the past five years. This is according to a response from the Federal Ministry of Defense to a request from the Left Party in the Bundestag. A peak was recorded last year with 1,996 recruits under the age of 18, after 1,773 the year before. According to the Bundeswehr, a total of 18,800 soldiers were recruited in 2023.
17-year-olds are not allowed to take part
Voluntary service in the Bundeswehr is permitted from the age of 17 with parental consent. If interested parties had to wait until their 18th birthday to begin their training, they would be at a disadvantage compared to people of the same age entering the civilian sector, according to the Bundeswehr. 17-year-old soldiers are generally not sent into action.
Left speaks of militarization
The number of young recruits is nevertheless a cause for criticism for the Left Party’s education spokesperson in the Bundestag, Nicole Gohlke: “The federal government seems to have completely given up on protecting minors from militarization,” she told the German Press Agency in Berlin, and also denounced the appearances of Bundeswehr youth officers in schools. Schools must be a politically neutral and safe place and political education must be independent and age-appropriate. “This deliberate and increasing recruitment of young people is unacceptable.”
Ministry rejects allegations
The Ministry of Defense also rejects the accusation of militarization in connection with youth officers. They also open themselves up to discussion with positions critical of the military. “The youth officers do not recruit young people,” it says in their annual report. The Bundeswehr’s career advisors are responsible for this issue. The youth officers are supposed to provide information on basic military and security policy issues and on Bundeswehr missions and come to schools upon invitation.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s response, 85 of 94 youth officer posts were filled by mid-July this year. Last year, they gave a total of 3,460 lectures at schools and universities, reaching around 90,000 pupils and students.
Source: Stern
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